Nail.



l. H.,GRAY.

NAIL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26. 1916.

1,225,708. Patented May 8, 1917.

fiver/2507 %T P N FT NAIL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8, 1917.

Application filed July 26, 1916. Serial No. 111,529.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. GRAY, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada,residing at Vorcester, in the county of \Vorcestor and State ofMassachusetts, have invcnted a new and useful Nail, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a nail principally for use on temporarystructures such as stages, concrete molds, and the like.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a simpleconstruction which can be made by the ordinary processes used forproducing cut-nails without expensive complications, and which will beadapted to leave a head projecting from the wood under all ordinaryconditions so that the nail can be withdrawn readily by ordinary hammerclaws or equivalent devices, and to so form the head that even whencarelessly driven it will still satisfy the above conditions, and at thesame time properly hold the boards to which it is applied. Morespecifically the invention involves a cut-nail having a shank of theusual construction and provided with a head of a wedge shape, having itsconverging sides substantially flush with the slightly diverging sidesof the shank at the point of juncture of the head with the shank so thatthe head itself can be driven part way into the board if desired, thehead also projecting beyond the shank at the edges thereof so as tocause the head to hold the board and form a partial stop against drivingthe head in too far. Further objects and advantages of the inventionwill appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1is a perspective view of a small section of staging showing a few nailstherein constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of one of the nails substantially full size;

Fig. 3 is an edge view of the same, and

Fig. 4 is an end view.

As stages are ordinarily put up the boards are fixed in position byordinary cut-nails. When the staging is to be taken down an ordinaryhammer cannot usually be employed to remove the nails. This necessitatesthe use of special tools in a good many cases, and the injury of theboards by these tools or by knocking them apart in the customary manner.This invention is designed, as stated above, for the purpose ofovercoming these difiiculties by providing a nail suitable for use forthis purpose, and having a head which can be driven into the woodslightly if desired, and which has a shoulder that will hold the boardand prevent the nail going far in, but which will project up even ifcarelessly driven so that it can be removed by the claws of an ordinaryhammer without damaging the boards.

In the form shown in the drawings the nail is formed of a shank A havingslightly diverging sides a and edges a converging toward the point. Itis furthermore provided with a head B which may be considered as madesomewhat in the opposite manner for its sides 7) instead of beingparallel diverge from each other toward the end of the head. These sidescome close enough together at the point where the head oins the shank sothat they are substantially flush with the two slightly diverging sidesa of the shank. In this way the diverging surfaces 6 of the head,although substantially flat, are continuous with the side surfaces at ofthe shank, and no sudden projection is provided on these surfaces. Thusas far as they are concerned, the head can be driven into the board,especially so as the long dimension of the shank is driven in parallelwith the grain. However, the head widens out toward the top which actsto resist the driving of the head in clear up to the end, but theprincipal purpose of this widening is to provide a construction whichwill permit of the ready withdrawal of the nail by the claws of anordinary hammer.

Looking at the nail in the other direction, it will be seen that theedges Z) of the head are parallel substantially and extend beyond thediverging edges a of the shank at the point where they meet so as toform shoulders b at this point to resist the driving of the head intothe wood to any great depth. This further insures the projection of thehead above the wood, but on account of the construction above describedit is possible to drive the head pretty well into the wood so that itwill not project very far. If it projects at all, however, as it alwayswill, it can be drawn by a claw hammer as stated.

By the use of this construction of nail the staging is not split bydriving the nail in nor is it marred materially by the head of,

the nail, but the principalsaving lies in the fact that no special toolsthat dig into the board have to be employed for removing the nail, andit is so easy to remove it. that the workmen will not be tempted toseparate the parts of the staging by prying them apart or pounding theboards off from the rear. In this way the staging is saved for use overand over again, and in fact the nails themselves can be used severaltimes, if desired. Further these advantages are obtained by aconstruction which can be made by the ordinary nail cutting processeswithout a material increase in cost, and without waste of material.

7 Although I have illustrated and described only a single form of theinvention I am aware of the fact that modifications can be made thereinby any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of theinvention as expressed in the claim. Therefore I do not wish to belimited to all the details of construction herein shown and described,but what I do claim is i As an article of manufacture, a squareendedcut-nail for use in wood having a shank provided with sides slightlydiverging and edges diverging more widely from the point toward the headand farther apart than said sides, and having a headwider than the upperend of the shank, its two sides being substantially flush with the upperends of the sides of the shank but diverging from each other from thatpoint to the top of the head, the edges of the head being farther apartthan the edges of the shank at any point and having square shouldersunder them whereby when driven into the wood with its slightly divergingsides parallel with the grain the head can be driven slightly into thewood, but will be stopped by said shoulders before being drivenmaterially into it.

In testimony whereof. I have hereunto aflixed my signature.

JOHN H. GRAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

